A Cruel Deception

In the eleventh installment of the Bess Crawford mystery series by Charles Todd, nurse Bess Crawford finds herself in post-World War I Paris, tasked with helping a troubled former soldier, Lieutenant Lawrence Minton. While grappling with her own future and the dark shadows of the war, she discovers that Minton is haunted by a profound despair and a dangerous addiction to opiates. As she delves into the mysteries of his troubled past, Bess must navigate her own doubts and the untrustworthy allies surrounding him to uncover the truth and prevent a potential tragedy.